A report filed to the Utah Legislature this month by Odyssey, the program manager for Utah Fits All, discloses how $94.7 million allocated by the state for the school choice program was spent during the 2025-2026 school year. The report indicates that 14,522 students utilized the program during this period.
The spending breakdown shows about $57 million was used for tuition and fees in private schools. Another $27 million was spent on educational goods, including software, applications, supplies, electronics, and textbooks. Specific large expenses for goods included approximately $1.9 million for art supplies, $2.5 million for learning manipulatives, $2.3 million for STEM kits, $2.2 million for curriculum textbooks, $2.3 million for laptops, $1.3 million for tablets, and $1.1 million for 3D printers.
Democratic Representative John Arthur of Holladay, who is also an elementary school teacher, expressed significant concern upon reviewing the report. He described some purchases as extravagant, contrasting them with his personal spending on classroom supplies like tissues and food for his students. Representative Arthur noted that the funds flow directly from the Legislature to private and religious schools or into the homes of recipients.
He voiced particular concern about electronics purchases, given recent legislative efforts to limit children's screen time, including a default ban on cellphones during school hours. Arthur cited the $468,000 spent on headphones through the program, recalling his own need to conduct a donation drive to acquire headphones with microphones for his multilingual learners to practice for English language proficiency assessments.
Conversely, Utah House Majority Whip Candice Pierucci, a Republican from Herriman, viewed the report positively. She highlighted legislative changes designed to ensure expenses have a "clear nexus and tie to education." Pierucci stated that the Utah Fits All program meets rigid financial requirements and is audited annually, demonstrating mindfulness of taxpayer dollars. She affirmed that the program empowers parents to make educational decisions, rejecting a "one-size-fits-all approach."
Pierucci also addressed concerns that the program diverts funds from public schools, stating that over the past five years, the Legislature has increased state funding for public education by $1.8 billion, a 44.2% increase, despite declining enrollment. She contested the argument that not all Utah children have access to the program, noting that any family in the state can apply and that regular school districts offer similar programs like speech therapy, art, or gym classes.
Legislators previously implemented tweaks to the program, further restricting allowable expenses. These changes for the 2025-2026 school year included the exclusion of items such as ski passes, furniture, musical instruments, and apparel. A 20% cap was also placed on extracurriculars and physical education expenses. The annual scholarship amount for homeschool learners was reduced from $8,000 to $4,000 for students aged 5 to 11, and $6,000 for those aged 12 to 18, while private school students remained eligible for $8,000 annually. This led to a shift in recipient demographics, with almost 48% of students now homeschooled, down from approximately 80% last year, and the remaining 52% attending private schools.
In addition to tuition and goods, over $10.6 million of the scholarships were used for services, including after-school or summer programs, educational therapies, and tutoring. The cost of administering the program for the 2025-2026 year under Odyssey was $4.8 million. This figure is about half of the $9 million the Utah State Board of Education awarded to the previous program manager, ACE Scholarships, before terminating its contract.
The program's future remains subject to a ruling by the Utah Supreme Court on its constitutionality. A 3rd District judge declared Utah Fits All unconstitutional last spring, stating it was a "program within the public education system that is not free and is not 'open to all the children of Utah'" and diverted constitutionally appropriated funds from public schools. Republican state leaders are appealing that decision, allowing the program to continue in the interim. The Utah Education Association (UEA), which filed the lawsuit against the program, stated its hope to prevail in court, asserting that "Public money belongs in public schools."
